Track-wheel suspension for track-laying tractors



M. B. MORGAN.

TRACK WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR TRACK LAYING TRACTORS.

APPLICATION F|LED AUG.25.1919.

UNITED sTATEs 'PATENT oEEIoE.,

MATI-IEW B. MORGAN, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND TRACTOR COMPANY, OP EUcLIn, OHIO,

A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TRACK-WHEEL SUSPENSION P03 TRAOK-LAYING TRACTORS.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, MATHEW B. MORGAN,.-` a 4citizen of th United States, residing atl Cleveland Heights, in the county of Cuya- 5 hoga and State of. Ohio, have invented Ya certain new and useful Improvement in lTrack-Vilheel Suspensions for Track-Lay- -ing Tractors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This inventionl is an improvement 1n the kind of track laying tractors typified in the lVhite Patent-No. 1,253,319 in which two track frames lie on opposite sides of the main .frame and are pivoted at `their rearl l5 ends to the rear end of the main frame,`

and havey certain load supporting .springs interposed between their front ends and the front end of the main frame.

The invention relates to the means through I which `the track engaging wheels are supported by the-said track frames; the object being t0 enable the tractor to run more easily, and with less shock and jar upon the tracks when such tracks are laid down on rough ground.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a 'side elevation of a track frame, partly broken away, to which the present invention is applied; Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsectional view,

the left side of the View being in the plane;

of line 2-A on Fig. l, and the right side of the view in the plane of line 2- B on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical .section in the plane of line 3-3011 Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical sec- 1 tion of the rear part of the invention for n the purpose of showing the rear spring sus pension of the tnuck. The track frame comprises two spaced- 40 apart side beams 10, 12, which in the form shown are connected together by a top plate 13. p

Two bearing brackets 20 are respectively secured to the rear ends of these two side beams; and they carry boxes 21 through which lthe said track frame maybe pivotally connected with 4a fixed rearaX-le in substatially the manner disclosed in said prior patenti It is to be understood .also that there is to be a suitable load supporting (preferably spring) connection between the front end ofthe trackframe and the main frame, substantially as shown in said p riorA patent.

The track wheels 50 are mounted on' av Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application led August 25,

-with each truck side bar 30. veach 1919. Serial No..31'9,703.

truck, which at its front end is pivotally nconnected with the track fram'e;and has at Patented Alu-.20,1920

its rear end a'load supporting spring connection with the track frame. The said truck as shown comprises two parallel spacedl apart side bars 30. Each of these is an angle bar; and said bars are so arranged that the horizontal flanges 31l thereof are at theirlower edges, and these horizontal flanges extend outwardly, that is, away from each other. i Two bearing box brackets I5 are secured by rivets or thelike to the two side beams 10, 12, near their front ends. These brackets carry alined bearing boxes 16, in which a rock shaft 17 is rotatably mounted. The two truck frame side bars 30, rest upon and are clamped shaft by U-bolts 32; and these side bars lie inside of the side beams 10, 12, of the, track frame. At the rear end of the truck are two spring seat brackets 34, which are secured one to eachof the truck bars 30. Y- .The upper ends of these brackets 34 are clamped tightly against the under side of la leaf spring- GO, near the middle thereof. There are two of these leaf springs, one associated leaf springengage respectively -a spring seat 24 formed on the lower end of one of the brackets 20; and a spring seat 18 on a bracket 17 that is riveted to the inner so.n

The ends of face of theA associated side beam 10 or 12 of `the truck frame, said spring seats of course I engaging the upper surface ofthe SPT-111gy The track wheels 50 liebetw'een the two side. bars of'the truck frame; each being rotatively mounted, on a shaft 51 that is clamped at itsends tothe two truck side bars 30. As showneachshafthas at each leaf end a flat top surface 52 which the lower edge of the bar 30 engages. At each end of the shaft 52 .is ahalf box 54, which embraces the; lower half of the shaft, and this half box and the shaft, at each end thereof is clamped by a U-bolt 55 to the associated side bar of the truck. A

Vhe'nthe invention as above described is applied to a track laying tractor, substantially as shown in sa-id prior patent, the

track frame may rock .about the axes of the rear bearing boxes, being restrained' by the resiliency of the front spring which is a part of the Old construction. And additionally` the truck may also rock about its axis of suspension at its front end. I/Vhemtherefore, the ground on'which the track belts are laid down is Very-rough and uneven, so

thatthe. tracks present a series of irregular up and down surfaces, the `wheels can follow those surfaces as the result-of the automatically cordinatcd swinging movements of the truck .frame and truck. The rear leafsprings 60 absorb much of the upward lmovement of -the rear eiid of the truck frame. without transmitting it to the rear end of the main frame.

Various-changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention shown and Vdescribed herein, provided the means stated i l in any of the followingclaims or4 the equiva lents of such stated means be employed.

Having described my invention, I claim :-i-

l. In aftrack laying tractor in which a track frame is pivot'ally connected near one end with the main frame andin which there is a .resilient load supporting connection i interposed between the other endof the track frame and. he main frame, the combination with said pivotedtrack frame, of a truck which is pivoted to the -track frame adjacent the spring supported end of the latter, and

' which hasl a resilient load supporting connection with `the track frame adjacent the pivot of the latter, and'track wheels mounted on said truck. j

2. In a track laying tractor having a main frame and two track frames which are pivotally connected near'their rear ends tothe main frame and which have a resilient load supporting connection between their front ends and the mainframe, the combination with each of the track frames of a truck which at itsl frontend ispivotally connected on a transverse axis with the track frame nearI its front end, a resilient load supporting connection between the rear end of the truck and the track frame, and track wheels mounted on said truck.

3. Ina trac-k laying tractor of the character specified,"the` combination with one of the p'ivoted track frames which includes two spaced apart side beams, of a truck which .is located between said two side beams and which is pivotally connected at its front end with both of said track frame side beams,

resilient load supporting connections interposed between the rear end of said truck and the side beams of the track frame, and track wheels mounted on said truck.

4. In a track laying tractor of the characterv specified, the combination of aV track frame comprising two spaced apart side beams, a truck which is' located between the two side beamsof the truck frame, and is 'pivoted to said track'frame 'near the front end thereof, two leaf springs which'are connected-near their middle points with the truck near its rear end -and two pairs of lspring seats fixed to the trackframe and engaging said leaf springs near the ends thereof,l and track wheels mounted on said 5. .In a track laying tractor of the character specified, the combination of a track frame comprising two spaced apart side beams, bearing box brackets at the rear ends of said beams to facilitate pivoting of said track frameto the main frame, and two bearing box brackets secured to the said side beams near the front ends, a rock shaft mounted in' the last named bearing box brackets, two parallel truck frame beams fixed to said rock shaft between the two frame and respectively` engage saidleaf springs near 'their' rear ends.

In'testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

MATHEWv B. MORGAN. 

